Apparatus for displaying articles in the air



(No Model.)

0. B. LINTON.

APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING ARTICLES IN THE AIR.

No. 286,718. r Patented Oct. 16, 1883.

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CHARLES I LINTON, OF READING, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, AXD HYDE C\' CO.,

OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATLIS FOR DISPLAYING ARTICLES IN THE AIR.

SPECIFICATION forming" part of Letters Patent No. 286,718, dated October 16, 1883.

Application filed May 15. 1882.

end to the cords (I at the point where they To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Grmnnns B. LINTON, of Reading, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Apparatus for Displaying Articles in the Air, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object the displaying of articles, such as comic paper figures, handbills, banners, &c., which are to be released and conspicuously displayed while suspended from aballoon at an elevated point in the air.

To this end my invention consists, as a whole, in the combination, with a balloon, of a receptacle containing articles for display, and having a frail bottom, adapted to be broken by the weight of said articles, and combustible fastenings, holding said bottom in place, and a time-fuse adapted to destroy said combustible fastenings, and thereby simultaneously release the articles in a group from the receptaclc.

The invention consists, also, in certain de tails, all of which I will now proceed to describe.

Of the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of an embodiment of my invention suspended from a hot-air balloon. Fig. 2 represents a view showing the condi- 1ion after the combustible fastenings have been destroyed bythetime-fuse. Fig. 3 represents a bottom view of the suspended receptacle before its fastenings have been destroyed.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the manner of carrying out my invention (shown in the drawings) a receptacle, A, is employed, composed, preferably, of a pasteboard cylinder, having a covering of light paper formed at its lower end in strips or flaps,

5, which are folded inwardly andsecured so as to form a fragile easily-ruptured bottom for the receptacle, said bottom being supported mainly by combustible cords 0, passed around the receptacle, crossed on the bottom thereof, and connected to a cord, D, which is attached to a hot-air or other suitable balloon, E, the receptacle being suspended by said cord.

F represents a time-fuse attached at one (No model.)

cross at the bottom of the receptacle and depending from said point. Any suitable objects or articles, D-such as Japanese kites, comic figures, handbills, &c.which are to be displayed and scattered in the air are placed in the receptacle, so as to rest on the fragile bot-tom thereof. The lower end of the timefuse being ignited the balloon is released. Then the fuse is consumed up to its point of attachment with the cords C, it burns and scv ers said cords, thereby depriving the bottom of the receptacle of the support afforded by said cords, and allowing the bottom to yield and release the articles contained in the receptacle. The severing of the cords also disconnects the receptacle fromthe suspendingcord, D, thereby allowing the receptacle to fall until it is arrested by asecond suspending-cord, I, which connects the receptacle with the balloon. The sudden arrest of the receptacle in its descent by the cord I insures the rupturing of the bottom of the receptacle by the weight of the articles resting thereon in case said bottom does not yield when the cords are first severed. It will be seen, therefore, that the articles I) inclosed iu the receptacle are scat tered and displayed in the air at aheight proportioned to the length of the fuse.

I am aware that it is not newto attachfolded printed papers at intervals to a long slowinatch attached to a balloon, the papers being released consecutively by the burning of the match. The end sought by said contrivance was only to distribute papers over a wide extent of country, and each paper was released separately, remained in .a folded condition after its release, and waslnot rendered more conspicuous by its release. hly invention, 011 the other hand, is intended solely for the purpose of suddenly displaying and rendering conspicuous at an elevated point a group or flock of articles previously concealed, as when the receptacle A is employed, or a single ob ject, such as a flag previously folded in a compact form. l.herefore, while I do not claim, broadly, the method of releasing articles in the air by 'means of a slow-match or time-fuse,

IVhat I claim as new is- 1. The combination, withaballoon, of areceptacle, A, containing articles for display,

and having afrail bottom adapted to be broken by the Weight of said articles, and combustible fastenings O, holding said bottom in place, and a time-fuse adapted to destroy said combustible fastenings, and thereby simultaneously release the articles in a group from the receptacle, as set forth.

2. The combination of a balloon, a receptacle, A, connected to a suspending-cord, D, by combustible fastenings vG, holding the bottom of the receptacle in place, atirne-fuse adapted to sever the fastenings C, and thereby disconnect the receptacle fromthe suspending-cord D, and a second loose suspendingcord, I,

CHARLES LINTON.

\Vitnesses M. J. LINTON, O. F. BROWN. 

